Friday, 25 August 2017

It is time for the Dwarfs to get the name-generator treatment. Scouring the full ranges of Citadel Miniature Dwarfs from 1982-1986 to compile a random name generator for dwarf-kind.

The Dwarf name generator is already plugged in to the Oldhammer Scenario Generator on Twitter which has introduced us to the exploits of such hallowed dwarfs as Gorin Dragonhammer and Owd Ketri Stoneaxe, and I also used it to create the name for a D&D character Lard Hookbeard for Bones of the Lost God.

Warhammer Dwarf Name Generator

Or if the trans-dimensional portal iframe above isn't working visit : Ye Olde Oldhammer Dwarf Name Generator It can be a little repetitive, but that's not always a bad thing, as our obligitary journey through the hallowed halls of ancient dwarven kings shall reveal.

The Dwarf Kings Court

Venerable themed box set from 1982, Sculpted by Micheal and Alan Perry. I can't help but imagine this was originally designed as a chess set, with the king and queen, the wizard and jester as bishops, the guards as knights, the bear and blacksmith as rooks, axe-weilder as pawn etc.

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

King

Dumin

Ironbeard

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

Queen

Asabelle

Dragonsmiter

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

Fungil

Wisebeard

The Sage

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

Quintin

Limpfondle

Queen's Champion

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

Orizard

Oldrock

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

Bomban

Ironbeater

Royal Armourer

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

Corbit

Shortstuff

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

Mimbrin

Royal Guard

SS2 Dwarf Kings Court

Dimgol

Master of The Guard

We delve straight into the use of epithetical compound nouns - Wise-beard, Dragon-smiter etc. as we have seen with Orcs, Elves and Chaos Warriors Iron, rock, dwarf characteristic association with mining, and Dragonsmiter highlighting the Dragon as a name-worthy foe - the dwarf/dragon connection runs through the Icelandic Volsunga Saga, Wagner's Sigfried and Tolkien's Hobbit. Other names of interest include:

Mimbrin - the dwarf Mim from the Silmarillion.

Fungil - Fundin from the Dvergertal / Lord of the Rings.

Bomban - a corruption of Bombur, from the Dvergatal / The Hobbit

Asabelle - using the French for 'beauty', typical English associations of French with femininity

Corbitt Shortstuff - reference to comedian Ronnie Corbett

Corbitt Shortstuff, the Gnome jester not only provided the name, but design for the miniature seems to be based on one half of the comedy duo The Two Ronnies, Ronnie Corbett, who habitually made jokes about his own short stature:

I think the bulging eyes on the miniature are supposed to be Ronnies glasses, but I haven't seen the figure in hand, so can't really make a judgement. The poking out tongue is more a Benny Hill than Corbett expression, but a jester named Corbett is a clear homage that would have been easily identifiable in the early 1980s.

If Quintins rather camp tea-pot pose with hand on hip and impressive bouffant do indeed indicate a reference to Quentin Crisp - the title "Queen's Champion" becomes a punning reference to Quentins homosexuality and public championship of gay rights, a literal champion of queens. The surname Limpfondle is perhaps an unpleasant jibe against Quentins effeminate persona, limp-wristed being a once common euphemism for a camp or effeminate homosexual, and fondle being intimate touching. Dwarves, as their mascot Cyril the Bear clearly demonstrates tend to be more rugged, masculine, if somewhat short, Bear types.

The Dwarf Adventurers

Bryan Ansells Heroic Adventurers

Dungeon Adventurers Starter set

Thorgrimm Branedim from White Dwarf

1983 two boxed sets of an assortement of adventuring characters of a typical D&D party, featuring three Dwarfs, and the launch of Warhammer saw the of the exclusive, coupon-only Thorgrim Branedimm﻿.

Bryan Ansell's Heroic Adventurers

Odan

Grimbeard

Bryan Ansell's Heroic Adventurers

Olaf

Thorginson

Dungeon Adventurers Starter Set - Version 2

Drambuin

The Dwarf

Odan and Olaf, unashamedly Norse in inspiration, Odan perhaps being a corruption of the Norse God Odin, and Olaf being a common old-norse given name. Indirectly we also have Thorgin and the first use of a patronymic '-son' to delinate heritage, adding an ancestral, lineage tradition to Dwarf naming along side the more common compound nouns.

Thorgrim Branedimm﻿, Brain-dim, obviously a stupid fellow. Thor-grim, perhaps related to Thorgin, but similarly evoking the Norse God Thor, and well, being grim. In the grim dwarf history of the ancient gods there is only Thor. Or something. A rare miniature, representing the leader of the dwarfs in the Warhammer 1st Edition Scenario The Ziggurat of Doom and offered as a free figure with proof of purchase. Maybe a reference to Thorgrim from the 1982 swords and sorcery movie Conan the Barbarian.

Thorgrim vs. Conan

Drambuin a pun on Drambuie - a whiskey liqure, with a Tolkiensque air - Baranduin being the name of the Hobbitified 'Brandywine' River in the Shire from The Lord of The Rings. It is also, unabashedly Scottish, and I believe, the first Scottish-accented Dwarf reference we have outside of Ronf from Noggin The Nog.

Vintage 1970s bottle of Dwarf Liquor

But evidently, this idea of connecting dwarfs with booze caught on around the Citadel Miniatures studios, as the next named release is that all time renowned regiment, Bugmans Dwarf Rangers.

Bugmans Dwarf Rangers

Joseph Bugman from Forces of Fantasy, by Tony Ackland

RR1 Bugmans Dwarf Rangers

Joseph

Bugman

RR1 Bugmans Dwarf Rangers

Jeorj

Ruddle

RR1 Bugmans Dwarf Rangers (1986 re-release)

Owd

Tom

Thyksson

The Dwarven Battlecry of "Mhinz Abeir, Z'yor Rond" ("Mine's a beer, it's your round") cements the regiments place in the annals of Warhammer puns, and underlines the theme of dwarfs as heavy drinkers.

Jeorj Ruddle is a reference to George Ruddle, the founder of Ruddles Brewery, now a brand name of Green King, with neither the recipies or brewery location having any connection to the original.

Tom Thyksson appears to be a reference to Theakstons brewery, and particually the 'Owd' being their legendary brew Old Peculiar.

Joseph Bugman appears to be an original invention, who continues today with the beers sold in Warhammer World Dwarf themed ales from Nottingham Brewery

Perhaps significantly Joseph and Tom are not fantasy misspellings like Jeorj or loosely based on Norse myth or it's Tolkien derivatives but just common English names. The case for dwarfs adopting common names from human cultures is made by Tolkien, whose dwarfs have their own 'secret' names in the dwarf language Khudzul, but for day-to-day purposes use a human name, although Tolkiens human-language names are Old Norse, rather than English. More on that later...

The Dwarf Lords of Legend

Sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry, the Dwarf Lords of Legend were released in 1985 as a boxed set containing 8 individual characters.

Along with the designs, get the feeling that this boxed set encompassed many of the different cultures of Dwarfdom around the Old World from the Norse to the Imperial to the Scots.

C06 Northern Dwarfs

C06 Northern Dwarfs | 1984 flyer

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Bal

Irut

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Lun

Zud

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Luk

Aruk

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Khul

Dun

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Oran

Aruk

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Carluk

Aton

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Anuk

Ilrut

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Nazcar

Aruz

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Org

Kiluk

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Hith-amata

C06 Northern Dwarfs

No-car

Emol

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Luk-a-car

Mut

C06 Northern Dwarfs

Oran-ilrut

Several of the Northern Dwarf names appear to be car puns, Luk-a-carLook a Car? Nazcar? Oran ArukOr Anorak?

What's strange about Northern Dwarves, is that we already have 'northern' names from Bryan Ansells Heroic Adventurers boxed set - Olaf, and Odan. But rather than continue the nordic theme, the Northern Dwarfs have short, gutteral, and sharp names, perhaps inspired by Tolkiens invented dwarf language Khudzul. If we focus on the examples of Khudzul as they appears in The Lord of the Rings:

Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!

Balin Fundinul uzbad Khazad-dûmu

Azanulbizar

Kheled-zâram

Mazarbul

Barazinbar

Bundushathur

Kibil-nâla

Tharkûn (Gandalf)

Zirak-zigil

Whilst by no means a reconstructive extension of Tolkiens constructed language, there are features in the Citadel Northern Dwarf that are familiar: the use of hyphenations, frequent uses of 'z' and 'kh' 'uk', 'bal', Thematically Tolkien has Khudzul as a secret language, and that Dwarves commonly take on names from their surrounding cultures, so would typically choose a 'human' name for use outside the secret halls of dwarfdom. As such these names don't appear in the generator, which only produces outward facing names.

C06 Imperial Dwarfs

The Imperial Dwarves, as opposed to the Norse Dwarfs and the Chaos Dwarfs (who deserve a separate enquiry altogether), again sculpted by Micheal and Alan Perry, released in 1986.

August 1986 Flyer

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Lard

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Brond

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Brodin

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Ulfar

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Grom

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Ketri

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Grim

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Hargir

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Grim

Grimson

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Grum

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Gazil

C06 Imperial Dwarves

Gotri

And because there is overlap, here's some more...

White Dwarf 80 Imperial Dwarfs

Imperial Dwarfs | White Dwarf 80

Imperial Dwarfs

Gazil

Hooknose

Imperial Dwarfs

Grum

Imperial Dwarfs

Trooper

Grim

Grimson

Imperial Dwarfs

Trooper

Ketri

Trollhammer

Imperial Dwarfs

Trooper

Bromi

Iornbeard

Imperial Dwarfs

Grom

Imperial Dwarfs

Brond

Sunkeneye

Imperial Dwarfs

Trooper

Hargir

The Cautious

Imperial Dwarfs

King

Ulfar

Stonehammer

of Karak Ungor

Imperial Dwarfs

Grim

Imperial Dwarfs

Lard

Gormund

of Karak Kadrin

Imperial Dwarfs

Trooper

Gotri

The Stout

Again we have the epithetical compound nouns, Stone-hammer, Hook-nose, and the appearance of Troll as a name-worthy enemy.

Lard Gormund is notable as Lard, rendered pig fat, and Gormund, like Gourmand, a glutton.

We also have Grim Grimson, who we may safely assume is son of Grim, building the familial relationship between the characters, helping establish the sense of dwarven clannishness.

There is also the first apearance of tying the name to specific place. Karak Ungor and Karak Kadrin. Which with the proponderance of K's seems vaguely deriviative of Tolkiens Khudzul .The Karaks as names of dwarven strongholds go back to the first edition of Warhammer Fatnasy Battle, with Caraz-A-Carak (Car has a car rack?). Seems a bit of a asted opportunity not to keep throwing puns in there, Karak-Akan, Karak-Agax or Karak-Edz. Karaz-A-Rufrak.

With, Grim, Grom, Grum, Gotri, Ketri there is an alliterative naming convention that we see in Tolkiens Hobbit, which stems from the Dvergatal in the Völuspá, a poem that catalogues and names the Dwarfs.

Dvergatal, or "The Recounting of the Dwarves".

There was Motsognir the mightiest made
Of all the dwarfs, and Durin next;
Many a likeness of men they made,
The dwarfs in the earth, as Durin said.

Alf and Yngvi, Eikinskjaldi,
Fjalar and Frosti, Finn and Ginnar;
So for all time shall the tale be known,
The list of all the forbears of Lofar.

The list of Dwarf names was used by Tolkien in The Hobbit, and indeed John Rateliff in The History of the Hobbit speculates, with good textural reasoning, that one of the chief inspirations for the story was Tolkien working out why an Elf - Gandalf, that is a "Wand-elf" is travelling with all these dvergr.

Another of Tolkiens creative interpretations was to make the similar sounding names indicate familial relations. So, for example Oin and Gloin became brothers, and this idea of a familial structure being important to Dwarfs surfaces with Grim Grimson and the next wave of dwarf.

RR6 Prince Ulthers Dragon Company

Prince Ulther's Imperial Dwarfs

King

Ulther

son of Ulfar of Karak-Ungor

Borri

Forkbeard

Both Ulther and Borri, have a traditional Northern feel, Ulther via Uther Pendragon, and Borri not being far removed from the Ori, Norri and Dori of the Dvergertal.King Ulther, son of Ulfar - Ulfar is in fact one of the Imperial Dwarfs listed in White Dwarf 80 so we have the theme of familial lineage developing, again establishing the clannishness of the Dwarf ranges, and indicating a level of world-building and story-telling not seen before. The self-referntial also helps make sense of a rather repetitive name generator, as repeating surnames indicate the characters belong to the same clan or extended family.

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

With the publication of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay in 1986, there is a brief return to the theme of adventurers, again sculpted by the Perry Twins.

1987 Flyer

Citadel Journal Spring 87

These names are spread across several flyers and White Dwarf adverts.

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Wundal

Wizard

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Hero

Hammergrim

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Kanark

The Drunkard

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Gargul

The Gunner

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Zandur

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Dimzad

Stoutheart

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Dunbar

Tunnelmage

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Soppri

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Thulgrim

The Thief

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Intrepid

Erikal

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Khaladzad

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Ghalbar

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Funri

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

McDour

The Manic

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Nadir

More loosely inspired by the Hobbit and the Dvergrtal, with slight nods to Tolkiens Dwarven language of Khudzul appearing with Khaladzad. Nadir, being a low-point is maybe a joke on the dwarfs low stature, and Karnark the Drunkard reminding what the Alcoholism rules in Warhammer are there to be used.

White Dwarf 95 Dwarf Adventurers

Yet more dwarf adventurers appear in White Dwarf 95.

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Adumm

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Little

Andii

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Arnuld

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Aydriun

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Balcony

Kryss

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Eyunna

Lexanda

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Fhyll

Madaxe

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Halfdan

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Hassan I Sahbha

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Khrys

Rabinsson

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Klann

Danelaw

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Iron

Mhyke

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Wild

Nyjhul

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Ogg

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Palldee

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Old

Peet

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Prang

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Rashasawa

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Raven

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Rhobb

Grimly

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Shaz

Ensun

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Shrubs

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Skargell

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Slymm

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Spudd

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Tynsul

Tymm

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Writch

D4 Dwarf Adventurers

Yak

These are a strange list, quite out of keeping with the last run. After establishing the 'fantasy' feel for Dwarf names, blending Tolkien and norse myth, these are little more than funny spellings of common English forenames, Khrys for Chris, Nyjhul for Nigel, Peet for Pete etc. It's entirely possible these are references to real people, perhaps gamers or Games Workshop staff, but without knowing the targets of any particular jest, it's difficult to know if we've come full circle to the Quintins and Corbetts of the Dwarf Kings Court, or are just scraping the bottom of the barrel of faux-English names.

It's a shame to leave our on a dull note, but overall, there are over 120 individually named Citadel Dwarfs, compared with 70 Orcs or 50 Elves, a testament to the enduring popularity and variety of Dwardom. And thus endeth this recital of the true and ancient lore of the nomenclature of the Dwarf kindreds of Warhammerland.

OK. Can I go back to calling them Dwarves now? Tolkien was right, it's more natural than Dwarfs.

Once again, you've done some amazing literary archaeology / spreadsheet legerdemain in service to the hobby!

It's interesting that in naming dwarves, the hobby has gone down the road of Norse (and sometimes Scotch) sounding names, and no one ever really picked up on the hidden threads connecting Tolkien's Dwarvish to Hebrew. The only trace I can really detect is perhaps in the names of the Dwarf Holds... Karak Hirn or Zhufbar was a certain Semitic ring.

I was going to correct you on the use of Scotch for Scots, but of course, with the dwarves of Warhammer it really is Scotch! Rabbie Burns euphemistic John Barleycorn Must Die, with his long beard and being chopped off at the knee comes to mind.

Tolkiens coding Semitic Dwarves probably passes most readers by. Partially because Tolkien is imaginatively remixing sources in the Beowulfian space between Christian scholar and student of pre-Christian european texts, and secondly because he's reflecting Jewish Diaspora and the adoption of surnames in the local language. I'd guess any traces of Hebrew specifically in the Citadel ranges are due to riffing on Khudzul as the 'authentic dwarf language' rather than understanding the coding. But the C06 Norse Dwarves are also 'authentic dwarven' (rather than Norse) whereas the Imperial Dwarves names are adopted from the human Empire, so perhaps the concept of culturally hereditary and adopted names does still come through.

As a somewhat related aside, The Witch Elves of Naggaroth by Richard Halliwell in White Dwarf 108 seems to acknowledge Tolkien's Kinslaying at Alqualondë is a reflection on the Cain and Abel myth.

Awesome! I keep forgetting all about the name generators in Mighty Empires. Pretty much because I don't own a copy. If your ME name generators are online (or could be converted to Google Sheets?) drop a link. Looked on your blog but couldn't find them.

I originally did them in Inspiration Pad a free random generator software. It has the ipt format. I think I put them on my now abandoned Google website. I'll look into redoing them in a google sheet. I've never used it before, but yours looks like it works well.